Flawlessly, Kwan Shows Her Grace Under Pressure

Michelle Kwan made it perfectly clear Friday that she has lost none of the elegance that has made her a three-time world figure skating champion.

The 20-year-old Torrance native took a decisive step toward her fifth U.S. title when she earned seven perfect 6.0s for the presentation of her short program, a spellbinding performance to the orchestral suite from the remake of the movie “East of Eden.” From the suppleness of her back on her layback spin to the height of her jumps, Kwan reasserted her mastery before an adoring audience at the FleetCenter.

The seven 6.0s matched the number she received for the presentation of her short program at the 1998 U.S. competition, which she considers her best. The scores should also silence doubters who suggested eager rivals were poised to dethrone her.

“It’s always hard when people are criticizing you on your jumps,” said Kwan, who got two 5.7s, five 5.8s and two 5.9s for the required elements. “You’re trying your best. It’s not like I sit at home watching TV all the time.

“I just told myself, ‘Forget about being at nationals. Forget everything. Just skate.’ The music was inspiring.”

Her closest pursuers, Sarah Hughes of Great Neck, N.Y., and Angela Nikodinov of San Pedro, skated well but suffered by comparison.

Hughes, 15, skated to “Vocalise” by Rachmaninoff, a proficient but subdued performance ranked second by all nine judges. Nikodinov, who trains four days a week at Lake Arrowhead and two days at the HealthSouth training center in El Segundo, skated with impressive form to “Serenity,” by Giovanni and ranked third.

Jennifer Kirk of the Skating Club of Boston is fourth, followed by Amber Corwin of Harbor City and 12-year-old Beatrisia Liang of Granada Hills. The short program is worth one-third of each skater’s score. The long program, worth the remaining two-thirds, will be skated today. The top three women will represent the U.S. at the World Championships in Vancouver, Canada, in March.

Nikodinov, who skated seventh among the 17 competitors, received marks from 5.4 to 5.7 for the required elements and 5.5 to 5.8 for presentation. Hughes, however, was unlucky enough to follow Kwan.

“Most of the time you don’t have to skate after someone who got so many 6s,” said Hughes, third at last year’s national championships and fifth in the world. “But her marks didn’t affect me. I was very focused. I knew what I wanted to do and I was very happy I did it.”

Nikodinov was happy enough to shed tears of relief and joy. Only two months after leaving her Detroit training base because she missed her family, she found inspiration from a new choreographer-coach, former Bolshoi ballerina Elena Tcherkasskaia.

Her graceful arm positions reflected Tcherkasskaia’s influence and the 2-minute 30-second program as a whole reflected her satisfaction over shedding 10 pounds and the insecurities that burdened her.

“This one is for me,” said Nikodinov, the daughter of Bulgarian immigrants. “I did a clean short last year at nationals, but it doesn’t feel the same. The whole program felt more connected.

“It’s not just facial expressions, it’s loving what you do and doing it, feeling the joy of it. When you enjoy it, it shows on your face. There’s an enjoyment you feel in your skin.”

Kwan used “East of Eden,” choreographed by Lori Nichol, in exhibitions in 1996 but discarded it this season in favor of a jazzy program choreographed by Christopher Dean. When the change didn’t refresh her, she reverted to “East of Eden,” composed by Lee Holdridge.

The judges endorsed her choice, padding her total to 29 perfect 6.0s in major competitions and 23 at the U.S. championships. Her coach, Frank Carroll, also approved.

“I think it’s very Michelle. It’s very much what she has to bring to the sport,” he said.

“I think Michelle is one of the most beautiful skaters that has ever been in the sport. The music has a very special quality that’s uplifting. . . . She does jazzy, modern stuff very well, but I think other people do it as well as she does. With this, she’s in a class of her own.”

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The senior men’s competition ends today with the long program. . . . Michael Villareal of Downey finished third among junior men. He was sixth last year.